Alarm-clock.



M. D. CASE.

ALARM CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. I910- RENEWED JU LY 2419l4p 1,264, 897. Patented May 7,1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented May 7,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ALARM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1910. RENEWED JULY 24,1914.

Patented May 7, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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HANNA D. CASE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ALARM-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918,

Application filed April 15, 1910, Serial No. 555,661. Renewed July 24, 1914. Serial No. 852,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M.\Nx.\ D. Case, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Alarm-Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in alarm clocks, and has for its object the production of a device by means of which the alarm can be set to go off at either twelve, twenty-four, thirty-six or forty-eight hours from the hour of setting by attaching my device to an ordinary cheap alarm clock.

A further object is the production of a device that can be attached to the slightly modified works of the ordinary alarm clock, and by means of which the alarm can be caused to operate at the expiration of any predetermined time.

A further object is the production of shutoff means to manually stop the alarm train in combination with means for automatically releasing said alarm.

A further object is the production of means for automatically closing an electric circuit, or to auton'iatically operate an alarm when a coiled spring has expended a definite portion of its energy.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by my device, embodiments of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a clock equipped with my device with dial and hands removed Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of Fig. 1 with mechanism removed.

Fig. 3 represents a perspective View of Fig. 1 with case and train of gear removed.

Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of Fig. l with case removed.

Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of my preferred form of my secondary let off.

Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a modified form of secondary let off.

Fig. 7 represents a detail showing a spring contacting device.

Fig. 8 represents a front elevation of a portion of a clock showing a modification of my device.

Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of a modified form of secondary let off.

Fig. 10 represents a front elevation of Fig. 1, showing modifications.

Fig. 11 represents a front elevation of Fig. 1 showing modifications.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, 12 represents the shell or case of an ordinary cheap alarm clock; 13 the bell or gong. The escapement shaft 14. carries the ordinary escapement wheel 15. On one end of the verge shaft 16 is mounted the hammer 17, the pallets 18 engaging the teeth of the escapement wheel 15. The stop lever 19 extends downwardy from the verge shaft and terminates in a hooked end 20, the purpose of which will be explained later. The time mechanism consists of the usual time spring and gearing driving the minute shaft, hour shaft and the gear 21 turning on the setting shaft 22 and provided with a collar 23 provided with a notch or recess 24. This notch has a perpendicular edge 25, a sloping edge 26 extending into the top 27 of the collar. On the setting shaft, outside of the notched collar, is rigidly mounted a collar 28 from the outer periphery of which extends a letelf pin 29. The collar 28 is of less diameter than the inner diameter of the collar 23, so when the shaft is revolved until the pin and notch register, the spring fastened on the front movement plate 31 and bearing against the gear 21 forces it and the collar outwardly. As the gear 21 is turned by the train, the edge 26 of the collar bears against the pin and the gear is forced back to its former position in a short time, and the upper edge 27 of the collar bears against the under surface of the pin and so travels until the pin again registers with the notch. Mounted on the plate 31 is the primary let-off 32. This is shown as a bar through which the shaft 22 passes, and terminates in a horizontally extending finger 33 preferably provided with a curved upper surface 34 and a fiat lower surface 35, the purpose of which will be explained later.

The alarmis set in the usual manner by turning the button 36 on the end of the setting shaft until the alarm hand points to the time desired for the alarm to sound, the hand and dial not being shown. The secondary setting mechanism B determines by the position of its parts whether the alarm shall ring once in twelve, twenty-four, thirty-six or forty-eight hours.

As shown in Fig. 3, parts of the front plate are cut and turned at right angles forming brackets 37-38. Two holes are preferably punched in these brackets registering with each other. and a bent r d formed with parallel uprights 39 39 is inserted throughthe upper holes and secured in the lower holes forming a guide or way for the secondary setting mechanism, which is here shown as a box-shaped member 40 provided with openings 41 in the top and bottom. whereby the member may be slidably mounted on the guide rod 39. One side of the member 40 is marked with the numerals 48362412 and the letter A. and an opening 42 is cut in the dial 43 of the clock, so the number on the member can be seen and one can tell how many hours will elapse before the alarm will sound. On another side of the member 40 is a slot 44, from either side of which project a series of teeth 45*, 45*. 45. 45, and 46. 46. 46, 46. The end 33 of the primary let-off enters this slot 44. bracket 47. mounted on the member 40, supports a rod 48. terminating at its upper end in a push button 49. and having a series of holes 50. 50 50", 50 adapted to receive a pin (not shown). By means of this push rod which extends outside the outer case 12. the secondary setting mechanism may be pushed downwardly on the guide 39 and its vertical movement limited by the pin in the holes 50". 50 50. striking the case. This pin and hole construction is not absolutely necessary, however, as when the rod 48 is moved in setting, a click is plainly heard for each position of the rod so that the ex tent of movement of the rod can be readily determined. A spring 52 is mounted on the movement. plate extending under the member 40 anu tending to force. it upwardly when it is forced dowmvardly by pushing the rod 48.

A notch 53 is formed in the lower portion of. one side of the member 40' within which the hooked-end 20 of the stop lever 19 drops when the member 40 has reached the required position. thus permitting the operation of the escapement and the hammer to.

strike against the bell. It will be noted that the alarm will continue to sound until the member 40 is forced away, the hook 20 riding out of the notch 53 and in the smooth side 54 of the member.

Let it be assumed that it is desired to set the alarm to go off in forty-eight hours: The rod 48 is pushed down until the pin in 50" strikes the case. This pushes the member down until the numeral 48 appears in the opening 42, the hook so riding up on the side 54. The teeth 45, 46, etc., slide over the top 34 of the arm and the bottom finally rests on the top of either the tooth 45 or 46 The alarm is set in the usual manner, and when the let-ofl pin 29 and the notch 24 register, the spring 32. forces the notch on the collar against the pin and carries the arm 33 off the tooth 46, and the spring forces the member upwardly until the tooth 45 strikes the bottom 35 of the arm 33. \Vithin an hour or so the collar has revolved and the pin 29 hearing against the inclined face 26 has forced the arm out until it drops off of the top of the tooth 45, the spring 52 then forces the member upwardly and the top of the tooth 46" catches the bottom of the arm where it remains for twelve hours. or until the collar 23 has made on revolution. At this time the collar and arm 33 are again forced outwardly and the arm rests in the tooth where it remains for an hour or so, when itis again forced back and engages the tooth 46. At the end of twelve hours more, it moves to engage 45 and soon after slips off and engages 46. The figures 36, 48 and 12 have successively appeared in the opening 42 and now the letter A appears showing that at the expiration of the next twelve hours period the alarm will sound; when that arrives the arm slides otl" the tooth and rests in the bottom of the member, the vibrating arm or stop lever 19 falls within the notch 53, and the alarm rings until run down, if a spring is used, or until the rod 48 is pushed down which resets the device and stops the alarm. It will then be seen that by varying the position of the pin in the holes 50*, etc., the mechanism may be varied so as to operate and be reset for any particular time.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a secondary setting mechanism B that may be slidingly mounted on the front movement plate by means of bolts or rivets 55 and fitting w thin a slot 56 in B.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the secondary let-0ft mechanism B is shown as a sector of a circle 57, and is provided with a toothed flange, and a lever 58 is mounted on said sector, a spring 59 tending to keep the member against the end 60 of the lever 32. A plate 61 is mounted on the case, provided with a series of holes within which pins (not shown) may be inserted; these pins serve as stops to limit the throw of the rod 58 and determine the number of hours to elapse before the alarm.

In Fig. 10 is shown a modification adapted for use on an ordinary eight-day clock. A sector of a circle is used provided with a toothed section near its outer periphery. In this form the alarm is set by turning the dial 63 and collar 64, both of which are frictionally mounted on the hour sleeve 66, until the time desired as shown on the dial 63 is opposite the hour hand (not shown). The collar 64 is provided with a slot or inlet 67 which registers with a pin 68 on the let-ofl" lever 32 pivoted at 69 on the front movement plate. When the hour hand reaches the time for the alarm, the

pin drops into the notch and the member B moves, as explained, by means of a lever 70 pivoted to the front movement plate at 71 and having a slot 72 within which a pin 73, mounted on the plate, is fitted.

A similar device is shown in Fig. 11, in which the end 74: of a bell crank lever falls into the notch 67 and actuates the other arm 7 5 of the lever corresponding to the stop lever 32. The member B is slidably mounted on the front movement plate, as explained in the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, and operates in the same manner.

The device may be used in combination with an electrical circuit and the alarm consists of an electric bell or buzzer, as shown in Fig. 8, in which the alarm 76 is in circuit as follows: from contact 77, the bolt and nut 78, insulated from case by fiber washer 79, through wire 80, battery 81, wire 82, bell 76, wire 83, to case and rod 58. It will thus be seen that when B is in alarm position, the hook 20 will be in the notch and the rod 58 strike the contact 77 and close the circuit operating the alarm, which will continue to ring until the rod is turned back again.

In Fig. 7 is shown a means for operating an electric alarm when a spring has uncoiled a predetermined amount or expended a portion of its energy. The spring 84 is shown in uncoiled position at 85, where it strikes the end 86 of a contact 87 and forces it against the spring 88. The contact 87 is mounted on the end of a spring 89 mounted on the case at 90, and the spring 88 is mounted in an insulator 91 also mounted on. the case; the springs 88 and 89 are in circuit with a bell or alarm and a battery or source of electrical supply (not shown) and when connection is made between 87 and 88 the alarm sounds. It is clear that my invention may be applied to almost any style of clock, with but slight modification of the parts thereof.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock, primary alarm mechanism adapted to sound an alarm at any predetermined position of the hour and minute hands, mechanism inserted in said alarm mechanism for preventing the operation thereof until the hour hand has revolved a plurality of times, and means for setting said second mechanism to control the period of time during which the primary mechanism is prevented from operatm In an alarm clock, a primary alarm mechanism adapted to be set to sound an alarm at any predetermined position of the hour and minute hands, an independent mechanism adapted to control the operation of the primary mechanism and inserted therein, and means for setting the independent mechanism to release the primary mechanism upon a predetermined number of revolutions of the hour hand.

3. In an alarm clock, the combination of an alarm device, a time train, a member oscillated by said time train once during each revolution of the hour hand, means interposed between said alarm device and said member whereby the alarm device is released after a plurality of revolutions of said hour hand, and means for setting said first named means to selectively controlthe number of revolutions of the hour hand necessary before the alarm device is released.

4. In an alarm clock, the combination of an alarm device, a time train, a member controlled by said time train once during each revolution of the hour hand, means interposed between said alarm device and said member whereby the alarm device is released after a plurality of revolutions of said hour hand, and means for setting said first named means to selectively control the number of revolutions of the hour hand necessary before the alarm device is released.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 12th day of April, 1910.

MANNA D. CASE.

Witnesses:

- J. NonBY,

R. SEHNEM. 

